15-05-2011 This is Glouchestershire£2 million improvement to Gloucester Crematorium

New buildings have opened at Gloucester Crematorium following a £2 million development.

The new facilities, in Coney Hill Road, include a wake room, called the Arbor Room, a tea room, and a cedar garden.

Councillor Steve Morgan, cabinet member for the environment at Gloucester City Council, said: "It is fabulous. People are already praising the new facilities at Coney Hill. The Arbor is a purpose-built facility housing a tea room and wake room, alongside a new memorial garden which will be launched next week.

"The project has been developed in consultation with users, members of the clergy and funeral directors in the city and has taken around seven months to complete.

"A large investment of £2m has been spent to provide a range of benefits to the people who have to use it, at what is a difficult time in everyone's life."

Fantastic

Gloucester City Council's planning committee unanimously agreed to overhaul the site in August last year.

Gloucester Town Crier Alan Myatt recently attended a funeral in Coney Hill and he noted the improvement of the facilities.

He said: "It looks absolutely fantastic now, the council has done a fantastic job, they really have.

"They now have the facilities to put on a number of events there if they so wish. It really is impressive. Hats off to them."

There were no burials or cremations on March 21 to March 23, to allow for the large proportion of the work to take place.

A programme of resurfacing of footpaths and roads took place while it was sealed off to the public.

However, there are some concerns over the signs on the site.

Gloucester City Councillor Phil McLellan (Lib Dem. Barnwood) said: "I had a look around a couple of weeks and it all looked brilliant and I'm sure people will welcome the new facilities.

"The access roads have been vastly improved, but they do need to look at the signs in there because apparently people are still coming in and going out the wrong ways."

Although the new facilities open this week, an official opening will take place on Thursday.

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